Scissors sharpener

ABSTRACT

An elongated body having a free end and a central bore formed therein opening outwardly of the free end of the body. The body includes a first longitudinal slot extending transversely therethrough, disposed generally on a diameter of the bore and opening outwardly of the free end of the body. The body further includes a second longitudinal slot extending transversely through the body with its medial plane generally tangent to the bore and a bar with roughened opposite sides is secured in the second slot for sharpening the blades of scissors rotated in the bore and shifted longitudinally of the first slot.

United States Patent Inventor Appl, No. Filed Patented Assignee SCISSORS SHARPENER 8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 76/82.2, 29/78, 51/214 Int. Cl B2lk 11/06 Field of Search ..76/82, 82.2, 89.1; 51/285, 214; 29/78 Primary Examiner-Hemard Stickney Attorneys-Clarence A. O'Brien and Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: An elongated body having a free end and a central bore formed therein opening outwardly of the free end of the body. The body includes a first longitudinal slot extending transversely therethrough, disposed generally on a diameter of the bore and opening outwardly of the free end of the body. The body further includes a second longitudinal slot extending transversely through the body with its medial plane generally tangent to the bore and a bar with roughened opposite sides is secured in the second slot for sharpening the blades of scissors rotated in the bore and shifted longitudinally of the first slot.

Patented April 13, I971 3,5 75,068

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig! Fig .4

5a I. 40 Aim B. Stafford 36 m 60 INVIENTOR.

2 Sheets-Shw-k 2 INVENTOR.

/ 7 I Attorneys scrssorts SllIAENlER The scissors sharpener of the instant invention has been specifically designed to provide a convenient tool whereby the blade portions of a pair of scissors or shears may be readily sharpened. In addition, the scissors sharpener includes means whereby the blade portions of a pair of scissors or small shears may be serrated along their cutting edge portions, such as is conventional with barber shears, and the sharpener is additionally provided with structural features enabling it to be utilized as a knife sharpener.

The sharpener includes a body portion from which a sharpening element or elements may be supported and the body includes structural features whereby shear or scissors blades as well as knife blades may be properly guided in relation to the sharpening element or elements during the sharpening processes. Further, the body portion additionally includes structural features for guiding a scissors blade while the edge portion thereof is being serrated.

'lhe scissors sharpener is not only adapted to sharpen conventional scissors but also pinking shears and therefore may have many uses in a single household.

The main object of this invention is to provide a sharpening tool which will be capable of accurately sharpening scissors blades.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sharpener which may be utilized to sharpen various types of scissors blades including the blade portions of pinking shears.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a sharpener which may also be utilized to sharpen knife blades.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sharpener in accordance with the preceding objects which may also be utilized to serrate the sharpened edges of scissors blades.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a sharpener including sharpening elements that may be readily replaced when deemed necessary.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a sharpener which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the sharpener of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIG. I and with a knife blade to be sharpened illustrated in operative 55 sharpened when utilizing the sharpener of the instant 65 invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating the manner in which the sharpened edges of the blade portions of a pair of scissors may be serrated by the sharpener; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the removable tool portion of 70 the sharpener for loosening and tightening the setscrews retaining the blade sharpening elements within the sharpener body.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the

numeral l6 generally designates the sharpener of the instant 75 invention which may be seen to include an elongated body referred to in general by the reference numeral 12. The body I2 includes first and second ends I4 and I6 and it may be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, that the second end 16 of the body 12 includes a central blind bore 18 provided with a counterbore 20.

A removable tool generally referred to by the reference numeral 22 is supported from the body I2 and includes a handgrip-forming knob 24 provided with an outwardly projecting neck 26. The neck 26 has a blind bore 28 formed in its outer end and one end 36 of an Allen wrench is secured in the blind bore 26 with the other end 34 of the Allen wrench 32 projecting outwardly of the neck 26. The neck 26 is snugly received and frictionally retained within the counterbore and the extended end 34 of the Allen wrench 32 is receivable in the bore 18 when the tool 22 is not being used, the handle forming knob 24 defining a decorative end piece for the second end 16 of the body 12.

Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 1-3, it may be seen that the first end 14 of the body 12 includes a longitudinal bore 36 and that a first longitudinal slot 38 is formed through the body 12 and passes through the center of the bore 36. The slot 33 includes a narrow side 38 disposed on one side of the bore 36 and a wide side 38" disposed on the other side of the bore 36. Further, the body 12 includes second and third transverse bores 40 and 42 which generally parallel each other and whose medial planes are disposed generally tangent to diametrically opposite portions of the bore 36 into which the inner ends of the opposite side portions 36' and 38" of the slot 36 open. The slots 38, 40 and 42 open through the first end 14 of the body 12 and diametrically opposite side portions of the exterior of the body 12 are beveled as at 44 and 46, see FIG. 3. Also, the portions of the 5 body 12 disposed on opposite sides of the bore 36 and between the slots 40 and 42 are oppositely beveled as at 48 and 50 at the first end 14 of the body 12. The beveled portions or surfaces 43 and 50 are formed on the free ends of a pair of furcations 52 and 54 defined on opposite sides of the bore 36 and between the bores 40 and 42 and the beveled surfaces 48 and 50 form guide surfaces for a knife blade 56 to be sharpened, see FIG. 2.

A pair of file segments 53 and 60 are snugly received within the slots 46 and 42 and are releasably retained in the latter by means of setscrews 62 and 64 threadedly engaged in bores 66 and 66 formed in the body 12. The setscrews 64 and 66 include noncircular recesses in their outer end portions in which the Allen wrench 32 is snugly receivable and accordingly, the tool 22 may be utilized to tighten and loosen the setscrews 64 and 66, as desired.

In operation, assuming that it is desired to sharpen the knife blade 56, the knife blade may first be positioned as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings and drawn longitudinally across the first or front end of the tool 10 with the cutting edge of the knife blade 56 engaging the file segment 58. Then, the knife blade 56 may be positioned as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings and longitudinally drawn across the front end of the body 12 with the edge of the knife blade 36 engaged with the file segment 60.

With attention now directed more specifically to FIG. 5 of the drawings, when it is desired to sharpen the cutting edges of the blades of a pair of scissors, the blades may be sequentially positioned in and drawn through the narrow side 38 of the slot 36 with the cutting edges of the blades 70 of the scissors '72 engaged with the tile section 53. On the other hand, if it is desired to sharpen pinking shears which include relatively wide blades, the pinking shear blades may be positioned in and drawn through the wide side 38" of the slot 38 in a similar manner.

If the scissors 72 are barber scissors and it is desired to serrate the blades after having sharpened the latter, the sharpened blades '76 are sequentially inserted within the bore 36 and rotated in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings so as to shift the sharpened edges of the blades 70 transversely across the inner surface of either one of the file sections 58 and 60.

When the file section 58 and 60 become dull at their forward end portions (utilized to sharpen knife blades), the setscrews 62 and 64 may be loosened and the file sections 58 and 60 may be slightly longitudinally shifted in the slots 40 and 42 and then again secured in position by tightening the setscrews 62 and 64. In addition, should the outer sides of the file sections 58 and 60 become dulled from sharpening scissors, the sections 58 and 60 may be loosened and reversed in position so as to expose their opposite sides for blade sharpening.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. An elongated body having a free end and a central bore formed therein opening outwardly of said free end, said body also having a first longitudinal slot formed transversely therethrough disposed generally on a diameter of said bore and opening through said free end, said body further having a second longitudinal slot formed therein inclined slightly relative to a plane normal to and opening into said first slot and also outwardly of the periphery of said body, the medial plane of said second slot being generally tangent to said bore, and a bar having roughened opposite side faces secured in said first slot with the inner roughened surface thereof disposed on a cord of said bore and the outer roughened surface thereof closing the inner end of said second slot.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bar is removably secured in said second slot for end-to-end reversal, side-to-side reversal and adjustable shifting longitudinally of said second slot.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first slot includes opposite side portions disposed on opposite sides of said bore and opening into the latter which are of different widths, and said body having a third slot formed therein corresponding to and generally paralleling said second slot and disposed on the side of said bore remote from said second slot and having a second bar with roughened opposite side faces secured therein.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said second bar is removably secured in said third slot for end-to-end reversal, side-to-side reversal and adjustable shifting longitudinally of said third slot.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the portions of said body disposed on opposite sides of said bore and defining the inner side surfaces of said second slot are beveled at said free end of said body to provide endwise outwardly opening registered notches defined partly by the inner roughened surfaces of said bar adjacent said free end in which a knife blade to be sharpened may be disposed and longitudinally shifted.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bar is removably secured in said second slot for end-to-end reversal, side-to-side reversal and adjustable shifting longitudinally of said second slot, said first slot including opposite side portions disposed on opposite sides of said bore and opening into the latter which are of different widths, and said body having a third slot formed therein corresponding to and generally paralleling said second slot and disposed on the side of said bore remote from said second slot and having a second bar with roughened opposite side faces secured therein, the portions of said body disposed on opposite sides of said bore and defining the inner side surfaces of said second and third slots being beveled at said free end of said body to provide endwise outwardly opening registered notches defined partly by the inner rou hened surfaces of said bar adjacent said free end in which a nife blade to be sharpened may be disposed and longitudinally shifted.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bar is removably secured in said second slot for end-to-end reversal, side-to-side reversal and adjustable shifting longitudinally of said second slot, said body having a threaded bore formed therein disposed normal to said second slot and disposed outwardly and opening into the latter, a setscrew threaded in said threaded bore with its inner end abutted against the roughened outer surface of said bar and frictionally retaining the latter in said second slot.

8. A sharpener including a body and a double-sided sharpening member supported from said body, said body including first surface means adapted to guidingly engage an elongated shear blade while the latter is longitudinally shifted relative to said body with its sharpened edge portion engaged with a first portion of said sharpening member, second surface means adapted to guidingly engage an elongated knife blade while the latter is longitudinally shifted relative to said body with its sharpened edge portion engaged with a second portion of said sharpening member and third surface means adapted to guidingly engage an elongated shear blade while the latter is rotated about its longitudinal axis with its sharpened edge portion engaged with a third portion of said sharpening member. 

1. An elongated body having a free end and a central bore formed therein opening outwardly of said free end, said body also having a first longitudinal slot formed transversely therethrough disposed generally on a diameter of said bore and opening through said free end, said body further having a second longitudinal slot formed therein inclined slightly relative to a plane normal to and opening into said first slot and also outwardly of the periphery of said body, the medial plane of said second slot being generally tangent to said bore, and a bar having roughened opposite side faces secured in said first slot with the inner roughened surface thereof disposed on a cord of said bore and the outer roughened surface thereof closing the inner end of said second slot.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bar is removably secured in said second slot for end-to-end reversal, side-to-side reversal and adjustable shifting longitudinally of said second slot.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first slot includes opposite side portions disposed on opposite sides of said bore and opening into the latter which are of different widths, and said body having a third slot formed therein corresponding to and generally paralleling said second slot and disposed on the side of said bore remote from said second slot and having a second bar with roughened opposite side faces secured therein.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said second bar is removably secured in said third slot for end-to-end reversal, side-to-side reversal and adjustable shifting longitudinally of said third slot.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the portions of said body diSposed on opposite sides of said bore and defining the inner side surfaces of said second slot are beveled at said free end of said body to provide endwise outwardly opening registered notches defined partly by the inner roughened surfaces of said bar adjacent said free end in which a knife blade to be sharpened may be disposed and longitudinally shifted.
 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bar is removably secured in said second slot for end-to-end reversal, side-to-side reversal and adjustable shifting longitudinally of said second slot, said first slot including opposite side portions disposed on opposite sides of said bore and opening into the latter which are of different widths, and said body having a third slot formed therein corresponding to and generally paralleling said second slot and disposed on the side of said bore remote from said second slot and having a second bar with roughened opposite side faces secured therein, the portions of said body disposed on opposite sides of said bore and defining the inner side surfaces of said second and third slots being beveled at said free end of said body to provide endwise outwardly opening registered notches defined partly by the inner roughened surfaces of said bar adjacent said free end in which a knife blade to be sharpened may be disposed and longitudinally shifted.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bar is removably secured in said second slot for end-to-end reversal, side-to-side reversal and adjustable shifting longitudinally of said second slot, said body having a threaded bore formed therein disposed normal to said second slot and disposed outwardly and opening into the latter, a setscrew threaded in said threaded bore with its inner end abutted against the roughened outer surface of said bar and frictionally retaining the latter in said second slot.
 8. A sharpener including a body and a double-sided sharpening member supported from said body, said body including first surface means adapted to guidingly engage an elongated shear blade while the latter is longitudinally shifted relative to said body with its sharpened edge portion engaged with a first portion of said sharpening member, second surface means adapted to guidingly engage an elongated knife blade while the latter is longitudinally shifted relative to said body with its sharpened edge portion engaged with a second portion of said sharpening member and third surface means adapted to guidingly engage an elongated shear blade while the latter is rotated about its longitudinal axis with its sharpened edge portion engaged with a third portion of said sharpening member. 